17 Responses to Contact

I worked with Bob Truax at the BuAer TED/EES 3401 project at the Annapolis Engineering Station in the mid 40′s where we did early develppment work on liquid rockets and pulse jet propuslion systems. Our group, the NAMU group from Willow grove, Pa., and the Tactical testing and evaluations group from Traverse City, Mich. were relocated and combined to form the US Naval Pioletless Aircraft Unit at Mojave, Calif, which later merged with the Pt. Mugu folks. Is Grayson Merrill still living?

Hallie–Hi,
I tried to send a direct email to you and an error message came up

The Web site on STAG One is terrific!

My name is Connie Pracht. My father, who died in 2005 was Raymond E. Pracht.
He was in STAG One along with Johnny Carr and Mike Beshara. I’m wondering
how I would go about finding records for the mechanic/gunner teams? I have
some of his photos taken of the guys. I’m hoping to be able to identify more of them
and fill out the story of their part in the program.
The photo attached here is my Dad on the left and
Mike Beshara on the right—I don’t know the center man’s name yet.
I am in contact with Mike. He might be able to put faces with names if we had a list of the names. And I might be able to find others still living with a name list.
Its Christmas Eve and there is much here for me to do—and I’m sure you are busy too.

My Dad, Raymond E. Pracht was in STAG-ONE in aircraft mechanics and was a gunner along with Mike Beshara and Johnny Carr. The three of them were good friends. I have photos that my Dad brought home with him. Not of the planes–but of the guys who were in the group. I would like to be able to put names to the faces–Mike would probably be able to assist me if we had a list of names–pulling the names from memory is more difficult than matching the names to faces. How do I find this information and more on the gunners and mechanics?

I regret to inform you that Roger Beck Newton of 11621 East HJ Ave., Galesburg Michigan, 49053, Tel. 269.665.7810 had died from a long fight with Cancer. He is survived by his wife Lee Newton. His final funeral service will be at Fort Custer National Cemetary, just east of Augusta, Michigan. Respectfully submitted, James B Newton P.A.-C.

I was with stag one when it was commissioned in Oklahoma in 1943,and with them until de commissioned .I was on the island os Benika in the Solomons and on the island of Mondoro in the Philliphines please contact me .. Charles coffin

I have been attempting to let you know that Roger Beck Newton has passed away. He passed while at home with Pneumonia. Further, after a long battle with Prostate Cancer. I hope this message makes it through. Please e-mail me at kd8ajc@gmail.com to confirm you have received this text. He is buried at Fort Custer National Cemetery. James Newton

My uncle, Frank Lawrence Herbert, Jr. was with STAG 1 in 1944 in the Solomons. He flew out of Sunlight, Benika. He went MIA Sept. 4, 1944. I have his military records from St. Louis, which only mention STAG 1. I would like more info on this program in the Solomons and would love to find someone who might have known him. Mr. Coffin, above, states he was on Benika. I would appreciate your sharing this note and my email address with him. Any info he is willing to share with me would be most appreciated.

I just started searching where my father had served. My mother recently passed away. And I was given a box that had my fathers war time items. Is there a way I can find out any history of his service time. He has Air Task Group 1 patch, Patrol Squadron 50 U.S. Pacific Fleet, A Patch with a Blue Shark with Gold Wings over a ship, and a patch with 4 different flags & his name embroidered on the bottom is one of the flags is the United States Flag the other 3 are unfamiliar to me Gold Sun with blue background, a red orb with bands of red, the other is an oval shape with blue and red (ying yang style)
If there is somebody who is still living & served along side and or a person who can help identify the patches as well direct me to extend my search in what my dad actually did. It was a secret in our house. I was always told something different all of the time. please email me @ sidelineservices@yahoo.com with any anything that can be of help. Thanks

HELLO
YOU HAVE A GREAT WEBSITE ! I’M GLAD I RAN ACROSS IT WHILE DOING SOME RESEARCH . I HAVE A MATCHED PAIR OF NAVAL AIRCRAFT FACTORY FUEL GAGES FROM A TDN-1 DRONE . I WAS GOING TO LIST THESE FOR SALE ON EBAY AS WW2 NAVAL AVIATION COLLECTIBLES , BUT I HAVE DECIDED TO WAIT UNTIL I HEAR FROM YOU , OR ANYONE IN YOUR ORGANIZATION ,SUCH AS NICK SPARKS, WHO MAY BE INTERESTED IN THEM . I FEEL SOMEONE IN YOUR GROUP MAY ESPECIALLY APPRECIATE THEM . THANK YOU ,

I fly RC models, and also an amiture builder of sorts. I would really like to build and RC model of the TDR-1 which I believe would be unique since it was truly an RC aircraft. Any plans or dimensional drawings available?

Does anyone remember my father, Richard Nathan Stine, he went by “Dick”, was from West Palm Beach, Florida, and started flying at age 16. He was involved in the Stag 1 project and has now recently passed and I am trying to find out more information on his involvement.
Any information would be gratefully appreciated.
Dad was in WWII and the Korean Conflict.

Since I am the retired Curator of Rocketry of the National Air and Space Museum and now a free-lance writer presently completing a book (a “labor of love”) on the history of Reaction Motors, Inc. and the late Robert Truax, as you know, was part of that story, I would very much to contact you.

I was 18 years old and was in STAG-1 from the beginning through 1944. I started in Clinton, Oklahoma, then to Travers City, Michigan, from there to Monterray, California (where I was assigned to the ordinance group) and then to Benika Island in the Solomons. We were there until the completion of the program at which time I was transferred to crash boats. I did not know we were able to speak about STAG-1 until I found this website. This is very interesting, thank you!

I was a member of the STAG ONE team, first at Clinton, Oklahoma, then at Travers City, Michigan, then we went to Monterrey, California. From there we went. to Benika Island in the Solomons. I was there until the program was deactivated in 1944.

If anybody remembers my father Earl Thomas Ashley, I would like to hear from you. He was at Traverse City, Cape May, New Jersey, and some place in Oklahoma. He was an aeronautics radio crewman, but I don’t know if it was STAG One or Two.